Read the passage carefully and answer the following questions given below.
It is said that everyone lives by selling something. What you can understand by this statement is that teachers live by selling knowledge, philosophers live by selling wisdom and priests earn their living by selling spiritual comfort. Though it may be possible to measure the value of material goods in terms of money, it is extremely difficult to estimate the true value of the services which people perform for us.
There are times when we would willingly give everything we possess to save our lives, yet we might grudge paying a surgeon a high fee for offering us precisely the same service. The conditions of society are such that skills have to be paid for in the same way that goods are paid for at a shop. Everyone has something to sell.
Tramps seem to be the only exception to this general rule. Beggars almost sell themselves as human beings to arouse the pity of passers-by. But real tramps are not beggars. They have nothing to sell and require nothing from others. In seeking independence, they do not sacrifice their human dignity. A tramp may ask you for money but he will never ask you to feel sorry for him. He has deliberately chosen to lead the life he leads and is fully aware of the consequences. He may never be sure where his next meal is coming from, but he is free from the thousands of anxieties which afflict other people. His few material possessions make it possible for him to move from place to place with ease. By having to sleep in the open, he gets far closer to the world of nature than most of us ever do. He may hunt, beg or steal occasionally to keep himself alive; he may even, in times of real need, do a little work: but he will never sacrifice his freedom.
We often speak with contempt for tramps and put them in the same class as beggars. But how many of us can honestly say that we have not felt a little envious of their simple way of life and their freedom from any care in the world?
i) On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions briefly (any five).
a) What does the author mean by the statement, 'Everyone has something to sell?
b) What is the difference between a beggar and a tramp?
c) How are tramps closer to nature than normal people?
d) Why should we feel jealous of a tramp?
e) Which word in paragraph 2 means the same as 'feel aggrieved about?
f) Which word in paragraph 3 means the same as 'cause suffering to?
ii) On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions by choosing the most appropriate option. (Any Five).
a) Which of the following is difficult to judge?
i) The actual value of services given by people
ii) The actual value of material goods
iii) Both a. and b.
iv) Neither a. nor b.
b) Which of the following are not selling services?
i) surgeon ii) A teacher iii) A priest iv) None of these
c) What is the advantage of being a tramp?
i) You sacrifice your dignity
ii) You are free from the worries which burden normal persons
iii) You are not sure where your next meal will be found
iv) All of the above
d) What will a tramp never give up?
i) His unemployment
ii) His possessions
iii) His dignity
iv) His women
e)Which of the following words is the synonym of 'estimate' in paragraph 1?
i) calculate
ii) evaluation
iii) appraisal
iv) determine
f) Which word in paragraph 3 is the antonym of 'unconsciously?
i) Purposely
ii) occasionally
iii) deliberately
iv)specially
Answers
(ii) a) The actual value of services given by people.
b) None of these
c) You are free from the worries which burden normal persons
d) His unemployment
e) evaluation
f) occasionally
Explanation:
(i) (a) The author says, 'Everyone has something to sell.' This statement means that teachers live by selling knowledge, philosophers live by selling wisdom and priests earn their living by selling spiritual comfort. The conditions of society are such that skills have to be paid for in the same way that goods are paid for at a shop.
(b) Real tramps are not beggars. They have nothing to sell and require nothing from others. Beggars almost sell themselves as human beings to arouse the pity of passers-by. In seeking independence, tramps do not sacrifice their human dignity.
(c) By having to sleep in the open, tramps get far closer to the world of nature than humans.
(e) The word in paragraph which 2 means the same as 'feel aggrieved about is grudge.
whose condition is such that skills are paid like good are paid